Table.



No. '166,695.l

PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.V J. HERZOG.

TABLE.

APPLIUATION TILBD PEB. 1B. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

v y l W I @t In,

No. 766,695. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. J. HERZOG.

TABLE.

APPLIoATIoN FILED rma. 1s. 1904.

No MODEL. 2 sHnnTs-snnm 2.

UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN HERZOG., OF SAGINAIV, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO HERZOG ART FURNITURE CO., OF SAGINAW', MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,695, dated August 2, 1904. i Application filed February 18, 1904. Serial No. 194,223. (No model.)

T0 all 'Lz/hmm it Hefty concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HERZOG, a citizen` of the United States of America, residing at Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tables, of which the following' is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My present invention is an improvement on the table for which Letters Patent No. '751,285 were granted to me February 2, 1904, and has special reference to the construction of the rails and the connecting-plates` the object being' to increase the eHiciency of the device by providing a more rigid construction.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter fully described, the novel features being subsequently pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of a portion of the rails and the leg' with the improvement applied thereto. Fig'. Q. is a vertical section on the line :n al of Fig'. 1. Fig'. 3 is a similar view on the line y y of Fig. l. Fig. A is a horizontal section in the plane of the securing-bolt. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of the end of the rail. Figs. 6 and '7 are detail perspective views of the rail connecting and clamping plate, and Fig'. 8 is a detail perspective view of the upper end of the leg.

The leg 1 is constructed with a horizontal shoulder' 2 and an upper portion or post 3, having a diagonal vertical slot 4. On the outer faces of the post 3 I form horizontal grooves 5 near the top of the post and at the bottom of the same, the bottom wall of the lower groove forming a continuation of the shoulder 2.

The ends of the rails 6 have portions cut away, as shown at 7, the cut-away portion being' of a distinctive form. The extremity of the rail is cutaway from a point near the top edge thereof entirely to the lower edge of the same, and the cut is extended along the lower edge, so as to form a recess 8, having an open bottom, while a narrow recess 9 is extended inward along the rail near its upper edge, a tongue 10 being left between the two recesses. The walls 1l, forming the sides of the recesses and the end of the tongue, converge toward the inner side of the rail, so as to conform to and closely eng'ag'e the edges of the rail-connecting plate. The rail connecting or clamping plate l2 consists of a casting having upper and lower branches I3, connected by a central body la, which body has an opening' l5 to per` mit the passage of the securing' rod or bolt 16 and is so formed as to present a recess or socket 17 on its outer side adapted to receive a nut I8 on the end of the rod or bolt 16 and prevent turning of said nut. The branches 13 are approximately V-shaped in plan View, and the arms of the same are adapted to engag'e the recesses 8 and 9 in the ends of the rails. The walls of the upper arms converge inwardly, so as to constitute a wedge which will bind against the walls of the recesses when the parts are fitted together. The upper surfaces of the arms of the lower' branch are beveled or inclined inwardly, so as to likewise bind against the wall of the engaged recess; but the lower' surface of this branch (which forms the bottom of the casting) is l'lat, so as to rest squarely against the shoulder 2 on the leg. The sides 19 of the body 14 are also beveled, so as to properly eng'age the beveled ends of the tongues l0 on the rails. On the inner sides of both branches are ribs 20, ex-

tending' to the ends of the arms and adapted to engage the horizontal grooves in the leg'. Projecting' inward from the upper portion of the casting is an elongated spur 2l, which projects into the diagonal slot 4 of the leg and which extends vertically from the top of the casting to a point immediately above the boltopening' therein.

The construction of the several parts being thus made known, the advantages of the device will be readily appreciated.

The ends of the rails are litted over the horizontal ribs 20 and grooves 5.

and grooves, furthermore, serve as leg-sup- 'arms of the casting or connecting-plate and the securing bolts or rods then turned so as to draw the plates toward the center of the table and bring the ends of the rails firmly together in the manner set forth in detail in my aforesaid patent. The legs are fitted against the rails and the connecting-plates and secured by means of a clamping-block and thumb-nut, as described and shown in said Letters Patent. In the present device the strength of the ends of the rails is maintained owing to the fact that an integral tongue is provided centrally of the same, the arms of the connecting-plate passing into straight recesses above and below the tongue.

After the table is set up the legs will support it through the rails resting on their horizontal shoulders and also by transmitting the strain through the castings to the body of the rails, for it will be noted the castings rest on the shoulders of the legs and also have an extended engagement with the legs through the These ribs ports to prevent dropping of the legs should the thumb-nuts be accidentally loosened and the table lifted without that looseness being discovered. The spur 2l extends across the greater portion of the slot in the leg and may extend entirely across the same. Consequently it not only aids in preventing lateral twisting of the parts on one another, but also forms a filling-block to lill the slot, and thereby reinforce and prevent crushing of the walls thereof. i

In my former patented construction the casting was so nearly circular that the rails had a tendency to oscillate thereon, interfering with the rapid assembling of the table and also detracting from the rigidity of the structure. Furthermore, while in the former device a small lip or ledge was presented which held the leg against dropping downward, the edges of the notch which passed across the corner of the post on the leg were exceedingly liable to chip olf. In the present device the post of the leg has grooves in its sides, and there is no notch across its corner to cause chipping. The arms of the casting or connectingplate by passing along and engaging the sides of the leg not only prevent dropping of the leg, but also aid in preventing twisting or slipping of the same. In connection with the elongated spur 2l they absolutely prevent twisting ofthe leg. In the former arrangement the leg was clamped against the wooden rails, with the result that the ber of the rails was frequently crushed; but in the present arrangement it is clamped against the casting, which presents a more effective clamping-surface and prevents crushing of the ber of the rails. The arms of the casting, it will be particularly noted, pass above and below a central straight tongue formed integral with the rail, so that the rails cannot oscillate on the casting, but will be held perfectly straight and square.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the rails having integral central longitudinal tongues on their inner sides at their ends, and connecting-plates seated in andbetween the meeting ends of the rails and having integral lateral arms adapted to engage the upper and lower sides of the central tongues on the rails.

2. The combination of the rails having integral central tongues on their inner sides at their ends, the leg provided in its upper portion with a vertical diagonal slot and with horizontal grooves on its outer sides, of a connecting-plate having lateral arms' adapted to pass above and below and engage the tongues on the rails and provided on their inner sides with ribs adapted to engage the grooves in the outer sides of the leg, the connectingplate being further provided with an elongated central spur extending into the slot in the leg, and means for securing the parts .together.

3. The combination of the rails having longitudinal recesses in their inner sides at their ends, the leg having a horizontal shoulder on which the rails rest and provided with hori- Zontal grooves in its outer sides above said shoulder, the connecting-plate having lateral arms engaging the recesses in the rails and also engaging the grooves in the sides of the leg, the base of said connecting-plate resting on the shoulder of the leg, and means for securing the parts together.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN HERZOG.

Witnesses:

RUTH BENJAMIN, FRED W. RIEDEL.

IOO 

